Everything
by FeebasFrodo14
Summary: Vampires can have children with humans, but only with their true mate. The leaders of their kind are using this to breed a skilled army, whilst others rebel and beg for the humans' safety. Meanwhile, a young vamp discovers his true love. How will he and his mate cope through everything going on around them?
1. Save my life

**Hi all!**

**Okay, I know what you're thinking, but I am NOT giving up on Realms of Tamriel. I just ran into a bad patch, and I can't seem to write anything. But, I have this story to ease my writing problems! Please review!**

**In this story, vampires can be born, but only if their mother is human and it's parents are mates. Vampire children grow normally until they are eighteen, which is when they truly become vampires. **

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_**Rio, Brazil**_

_**(Bpov)**_

The plane landed swiftly on the runway, and my break from my harmful mother had begun. I was in Rio for the next week, a place full of fun, beaches and sun.

You're probably wondering who I am. My name's Isabella Marie Swan. Or Higgenbottom, as my mother wants me to have her maiden name, but I haven't given in yet. It's clear why. I'm rather small for a fully grown adult, and I have brunette hair and dark brown eyes. Not much about me is all too exciting, really. I'm a total Klutz, and somehow, even serious situations; I somehow found a way to face plant the floor.

As you may have guessed, I'm all too fond of my mother. Surprisingly, even at the age of twenty, I was still living with my mother. Yes, you can laugh, but she always found a way to make me feel guilty when I tried to leave. Something about how she would be lonely as she hadn't uncovered any suitable men in Chicago and my father, Charlie, had died about five years ago.

When that happened, my sweet, kind mother was washed away, and replaced with a cruel and abusive woman. She would blame me for his death, even though I had nothing to do with it. He was killed by... well; we're not too sure what it was. He went out hunting with his best friend, Billy when he went to visit them in Washington. Some sort of creature pounced on Charlie, and... Well, you get it. Billy had severely broken both of his legs as he ran away, tripping up on large roots that stuck out of the ground. To my knowledge, he's been in a wheelchair ever since.

I was in Rio for the week, a vacation that I had been saving up for two years by working in a nearby mall. Not the best of jobs, but at least I had my freedom for the next seven days. My mother was very restricting, so this was my way of having the fun that I deserve. Getting through security and everything was a handful, as it was August, making summer vacations extremely popular. But, after a couple of hours, I was finally out. I had booked a room in a hotel beside the beach, which was said to have an unobstructed view of the sea. It took me a few months more than planned to save for it, but it was worth the wait and hard work.

After paying the cab driver for taking me there, I checked in and found that my room was rather spacious. It had a queen sized bed, covered in an extremely fluffy white afghan, a decent TV, a pristine bathtub and shower, and as the website had promised, the view was amazing. Dropping my mini suitcase to the ground along with my purse, I threw myself onto the bed, wishing that I wasn't here alone.

I had had a few dates and a couple of boyfriends, but nothing was really serious and they never lasted for more than a week. They would want sex and I wouldn't be prepared to give them it. So, I would be dumped. There was this guy who I thought would be different, as I had been friends with him since I was around five, but he turned out just like all the rest.

Pulling myself from my reminiscing, I removed my clothing and slipped on my pyjamas, snuggling between the thick sheets of the bed. I sighed, the exhaustion of my travelling crashing down on me.

In my dreams, I was running through a dark forest, with no light escaping through the gaps in the trees at all. Suddenly, there were a group of men in black robes, facing the ground but turned toward me. They hissed incoherently, whilst growls sounded from behind me, where a russet wolf had appeared. It was huge, bigger than any other wolf I had been. Maybe even bigger than a bear. I had to choose a party. Either walk towards the group of creepy guys hissing at me, or toward a wolf whose teeth looked sharp enough to snap through my bones. Before I could pick a side, a pair of blood coated fangs flashed in my face, and I screamed, jolting awake.

It was morning, and time to start my day of exploring.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in the hidden city of Volturi...**_

_**(Epov)**_

My fingers flying across the keyboard, I eventually finished my paper on the Southern vampire wars. Of course, this sort of thing would seem utterly insane to mere humans, but to us vampires, it was a pretty big deal. It was the battle that determined who our rulers would be. Aro, Marcus and Caius now control our hidden city, strategically buried under Volterra, a holy place where humans wouldn't think of mining.

A century ago, Aro conjured an idea. He wanted to rule the world, and not just a place where vampires could live without being exposed. But he knew that although we were indestructible, he could not do it himself. In the war, he had lost many skilled fighters, and to show the humans his true power, he wanted to rebuild that army. But, just running around changing every human in sight wasn't enough. He was smart enough to know that they would recognise such a mass of disappearances. He was left trying to find an answer, when his assistant, Carlisle Cullen proved that there was a way unintentionally.

Behind his leaders' backs, he had been courting a human woman, who he had accidently made pregnant. Aro's gift gave him the power to read every thought that had ever passed through one's mind with a single touch, and when Aro tried out his power on Carlisle, he was furious, but fascinated. He had not known that one of us could impregnate, and awaited the arrival of Carlisle's child to examine. When she was born, he touched her hand and discovered her power of sight into the future, and something else that he couldn't quite understand. Certain this would work again, starting an army of gifted vampires, he captured a human and experimented on her, but his efforts were for nothing.

Carlisle soon explained to Aro that he had a physical and emotional pull to his human mate, and that he was extremely possessive and protective of her. They concluded that every vampire had a mate, whom would bare them the only child that they would have. Then Aro made it his work to gather as many currant vampires as he could, and sent them out again to search for their mates if they didn't already have one. After around a decade, this became tiresome, but the first vampire born from a human mother showed promise. She could scour the Earth for any vampires mate as well as search the future. All she needed was to know enough about a vampire to find someone compatible.

And that's how we've lived for the past millennia.

I apologise, as I have not yet introduced myself. My name is Edward Anthony Masen, son of Elizabeth and Edward sr. Masen. My appearance is nothing much. I look just like any other vampire does – pale skin and golden eyes – and I have unruly bronze hair. I am within the third generation of born vampires, and I am currently looking for a mate. I can also read the minds of others, which pleased Aro greatly, or so I've been told. He was just happy that his plan was working out so well.

When I was called in to begin the process at the age of about seventeen in human years, my mother was ecstatic and my father was proud, but surprisingly, I hated their attention. So, to prevent them from fussing over me, I act as if it isn't a big deal. Pfft, let's see is Alice Cullen – child of Carlisle – can find someone the same way I am. Better off ignored.

Printing out my paper, I set it on my desk and looked around my room, thinking of what else I could do. Like many other houses down here, we had nothing but the best furniture and decor. We had red velvet covers, good quality computers taken from the human world, and everything else we may need. You see, until the age of about eighteen in human years, we continue to sleep as it aids in our growth. And there have been few cases of vampire children eating human food, but I was a full on blood drinker.

From a very young age, vampire children have the instinct to hunt and feed from anything with a heartbeat apart from other vampires (whose hearts continue to beat until they stop growth at eighteen) so we occasionally head up to the human world to take a few animals, as Aro was careful with humans, as one could be a vampires mate.

_Edward,_ I hear my mother call in her thoughts. _If you've finished your homework, you may as well visit Alice again. The more she knows a person, the easier it is to find the one._ I groaned, but whispered in agreement. My parents were pushing me to carry on talking to Alice, but they were slowly halting their demands.

_I would hurry, boy. They'll be closing the castle sooner or later._

"I'm going, I'm going." I muttered, throwing on my jacket on and sifting through my cupboard, grabbing something from the shelves at the top. Alice, Carlisle and his mate, Esme, were moved to the castle so that Aro was sure no one could steal his first 'creation'. And that was where headed every so often. To speak to a girl who should help me find my mate whilst being observed by her bodyguards. Fantastic.

With the ability of inhuman speed, I was at the castle gates within seconds. Felix, one of the many guards here, opened the gate when I asked for admittance to see Alice. Sooner or later, I was sitting in the main hall – a giant room with delicate engravings along the rims of the walls and the ceilings. Three thrones stood tall at the front of the hall, and alongside them was a smaller one, almost hidden by the other three. In those thrones were Aro, Marcus and Caius, as well as Alice in the smaller one.

"Ah, Edward. Here to see Alice, I presume?" I nodded, not looking all too excited. "Well, I expect that your negativity toward finding a mate with be cured once Alice reveals something to you." Turning to Alice, I focused my mind on hers, reading the thoughts that I had been waiting for.

_I've found her, Edward. _

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**Kinda short, but the next chapter is already being written!**

**Review!**


	2. Less then unpleasant

_**Bp**__**ov**_

For my first day exploring, I had discovered a bucket load of amazing shops with souvenirs and other things such as that, as well as walking beside the sea. It was definitely a great way to start my vacation. But, there was one person who had to go ahead and ruin it for me. When my phone began to ring, I knew that I had to answer or there would be hell to pay once I got home. Walking over to my purse cautiously, I slipped my hand inside and took out my mobile, taking a deep breath before answering.

"Hello?"

"Don't hello me, Isabella. Why didn't you call me when you got there? Didn't you remember that I ordered you to call me? For God's sake, can't you do anything right? First, you mess up your one chance with the guys from the reservation, who have a tonne of money by the way, and now, you can't even perform the simplest of tasks when told to!" I held back a sigh, knowing it would only make it worse. This was usual behaviour for her. "Anyway, have you gotten me a present yet? With you planning to go away to all these great places I've never been to, you can at least spare a thought for your dear mother back home."

"I got you a souvenir. In fact, it's in the bag right in front of me," I gestured to the paper bag on the bed, even though I knew she wouldn't see the movement.

"You had better," She hissed. "I'd best be going. Don't want to keep another one of your possible new fathers waiting!" She half sung into the phone before she hung up. I sighed and threw the phone back on the bed. What I needed was a good night out. There were a couple of reasonable clubs around the hotel, and it was getting dark, so they should be opening sooner or later. Jumping up from the bed, I grabbed a dress that I had hidden from my mother to bring here. It was a black dress that reached my calves and had a row of sequins from my right shoulder to my left hip. It wasn't slutty or anything, but my mother had a rule about showing too much skin, and this was my way of rebelling. Pathetic, I know, but so worth it.

I applied minimal make up, not liking the way it made my face look fake when it was piled on. I mean, and little bit of mascara is fine, but when you cover your face with foundation, blush, eye shadow and eyeliner, you start looking like a Barbie wannabe, drawing the wrong kind of attention. I left my hair down that night, liking the way it bounced down my shoulders, and grabbed my purse, double checking that I had everything I would need, including my phone and pepper spray. Charlie was a cop before he died, and he made sure that I was taught how to protect myself, and that I always carried pepper spray. I just preferred to carry on his rule.

Locking my room door and heading down the stairs, I walked out into the cooling street and started making my way to a place called 'The Rabbit hole', which was rather funny when I thought about it. How people inside would find someone such as a woman and follow them blindly so they could get laid. Showing the bouncer my ID, I entered the dark room to be greeted with pulsing lights and music which offended my ears. What was I thinking? I came here to have fun, but I didn't come with anyone. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

For once, I took a tip from my mother and headed for the bar. She drank a lot when Charlie died, and when I asked why, she told me it was her way of having fun. Of course, that was a lie, since when I asked she was in the dark, watching TV even though she didn't know what it was. I asked the bartender for a small rum and coke, and slowly sipped on it whilst I waited for the alcohol to kick in. Looking around, I saw guys grinding up against girls they had barely met, and others even taking a few drugs in the corner, but they were caught. I didn't want to sound like a goody goody, but I wasn't that into sex with strangers and drug taking. I had never given any of my boyfriends what they wanted because I didn't know them well enough, but that was what they expected from me. Meaningless sex.

Once I had finished my glass, I was about to get up and try to meet some people when I spotted a guy in the corner, staring at me. He wore those shades that the agents in 'Men in black' wore, but he didn't try to hide that he was looking at me. He pulled out a mobile and hit speed dial before he began trying to speak to whoever was on the other end. How would he hear what they were saying? The music and talking in here made it almost impossible.

I turned away from him and figured that I may as well just leave. Being the loner was alright enough, but when I was being glared at by strangers that were possibly checking me out, I wanted out. Sighing, I lifted myself from my seat and began to exit the club, but what I failed to realise was that there were two men following me – neither one was the 'Men in black' guy.

I almost ran down the dark street, wanting to avoid any trouble. The road was empty, other than a couple of girls strutting down the other side of the road in largely revealing dresses. They glanced over at me and started laughing drunkenly, probably not even knowing what they're laughing at. I was only a block away from the hotel when I hand grabbed at my arm, yanking me into a nearby ally. I tried to resist, pulling away whilst trying to get hold of my pepper spray, but the offending hand was too strong. I was thrown to the dirty ground next to a dumpster, but instead of looking at the predator, I urgently sifted through my purse, pursuing the spray.

"Oh no you don't, little lady," the tall guy muttered, pinning both my arms down. There was another guy behind him, who just watched as I lay there helpless.

"Looks like a virgin... Obviously inexperienced." The stocky one said, grinning. "Just make sure you save some for me, alright J?"

"Only if you're okay with sloppy seconds," J howled, gripping the straps of my dress. I panicked, furiously trying to kick him off of me. But my efforts were useless for two reasons. One, he was too heavy to push off, and two, someone was already ahead of me. Behind J and the other guy, the 'Men in black' guy along with a matching buddy shoved J off of me and I heard a sickening snap from him. Stocky was next, but rather than just a snap, I heard a _crunch._ I wouldn't be able to escape these guys. No way in hell.

I dug into my purse, finally grabbing hold of the can and pointing it in their direction, but they both just laughed. "Yeah, funny." The one closest to me picked me up effortlessly whilst the other opened a sack. My eyes widened, but before I could protest and try to get away, I was shoved inside. There were only two holes in the thing, and I could barely breathe. "Dude, she still has her bag."

"Oh, right." The sack was opened again and my purse was taken away, therefore my only way of getting help. I let out a cry but I was shushed immediately. "Shut up! Jesus, Alice sure is accurate, isn't she?" They both laughed, and before long I was put into some sort of box, or perhaps it was the boot of their car. We drove for a long while, and I started getting sleepy. I had just been kidnapped by super strong guys, and I was pretty sure I was going to die, but all I could do now was sleep. "Three, two, one," was the last thing I heard before I drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

When I awoke, I was no longer in that retched sack, but in a wooden crate. There was no note, and no sign of where I was other than a small circular hole. Peeping through it, I saw nothing but darkness, until a pair of eyes started looking back at me. "Hello?" I whimpered with a croaky voice.

"Who's there? Do you know where they're taking us?" Replied a fragile voice. I heard shifting in the crate until I saw a faint pair of eyes, which seemed to be light blue or maybe even a rare shade of purple.

I gulped. "I was hoping that you'd know." It seemed that we were in joined crates, with just a wall between me and this other girl. "What's your name? I'm Bella," I began, hoping that I could comfort her, and myself with small talk.

"Hi, Bella," She greeted shakily, "my name's Rosalie."

We didn't talk much more than that. There wasn't any need for it. We both shared the same pain and confusion, and sometime through the silence, I heard a door open nearby. "What were you thinking? With no air holes they can't breathe asshole! What's the boss gonna say about this?" Some guy said, their voice sounding like the shade guys'. "I swear if they're dead, I'm not helping you out. These girls are worth good money." Was that why we were here? We were going to be sold? I let out a cry, as did Rosalie.

"See? Can dead girls cry? And do their hearts beat, dumbass? We weren't that late." The other argued whilst footsteps came closer to our crate. I finger popped through the wood as if it were a knife through butter, and once it was removed, I saw light. It was then obscured by a golden eye. "How is it in there? Comfy?" He removed his eye and laughed before doing the same to Rosalie's half.

"What are going to do with us?" She demanded, kicking the side of the crate. "We haven't even had anything to drink for hours!"

The men laughed. "Ooh, so the princess wants some water? Well you're not-"

"Dude, we do actually need to feed them before we get to the airport. They might not die of suffocation now, but they need food and water. What's boss gonna say if their nothing but skin and bone?" The other growled in anger but relented, and claimed he was going to the nearest shop for something. He ended up coming back with nothing but bottles of water and chocolate bars, 'cause apparently that's what a girl wants. I would have preferred a sandwich, but I didn't argue and ate the damn Twirl.

After a few for minutes, we were hauled from where out crate had been, and placed in what the guys said was 'boss's private jet'. When I found out who this boss guy was, I was going to give him a piece of my mind.

Engines started spinning, and sooner or later I felt a little ill. Figuring that I may as well sleep through the flight, I rested my head against the floor of the crate and left my worries behind for awhile.

* * *

The next time I woke up was when I heard a pounding on the crate wall. "Wake up girls! Time to get you prepared!" Prepared? What for? The sex trade?

The doors were pulled open, and the sudden light blinded me momentarily. I was lifted out of the crate by one of the guys and taken to a woman with strawberry blonde hair tied up into a bun, hard golden eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing a tight silver dress, and once my skin came in contact with her bear arms, I shivered. Why was her skin so cold? Before I could even think about voicing my question, she turned and carried me through a door that led to a little showroom with several tables with mirrors and a lot of make up as well as wardrobes full of clothes.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" I asked, panicking slightly.

Before answering me, the woman dropping me into a white chair and took a step back to look at me, then she headed to the wardrobe and picked out a dark blue top with sequins and a pair of black jeans. "You, lucky lady, are the mate of a certain vampire that I happen to be quite sweet on," she growled angrily, but seemed to be trying to calm herself down.

"Mate? What do you mean? Vampires?" I stuttered, and she just looked at me in amusement.

"I know this will be hard to take in, but I need you to hear me out." I nodded, not entirely agreeing with her request. "Yes we are vampires, but we are not as bad as the stories you've been told. When a vampire reaches a certain age, they are called in to speak to Alice, the one who can find their mate anywhere in the world. Once the mate is found, those two fools you met earlier are sent to find them and bring them back. Your mate will love you unconditionally and irrevocably for as long as you both live. And, as their mate, you are the only one who can bear their only child." She grabbed my hand, pulling me to stand up before she pointed to my dress and simply said, "off."

I looked around, seeing girls just like me being told why they were here and being made all pretty. "But, I can't. There are other people here..."

She sighed. "Sorry, Sweetie, but you're gonna have to, or I need to take them off myself, and that's more than a little awkward." My eyes dart around the room for any exits, anyway I can escape this nightmare. "Don't even think about it," she said, looking toward the men that surrounded the doorways. "They'll stop you before you get far. Now, get those off quickly and get these on."

I whimpered but nodded, complying.

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**Strange, I know. But we get Edward in the next chapter! Woo!**

**Review!**


	3. First Impressions

_**Epov**_

_Edward! Get down here this instant so you can get ready to meet your mate!_

My mother had given up on letting the mating thing go, and was now overexcited about it. I was already told to take a shower and dress in my best clothes, which was only a dark grey t-shirt, black jacket and jeans. Not exactly dressing to impress, but it was good enough. Running down the stairs in a blur, I reached my mother who had stealthily hidden the fact that she was preparing herself to brush my hair, which I hadn't brushed in a couple of months. There was much need for it, as even when I did, it still looked messy.

My mother had caramel hair, and a heart shaped face as well as the same skin tone and color eyes as the rest of us. She was kind hearted, but when you got on her bad side there was hell to pay. Of course, that was just her son talking. The amount of times that I had tried to steal dessert before we even had dinner still lingered in my mind. Although it seems preposterous for a vampire, she would make me sit on the bottom step and stay there until I had 'learnt my lesson'. My father just went along with what she said, staying out of trouble completely. At that moment in time, he was resting in his favourite leather armchair, reading his daily edition of one of the humans' newspapers. He would be no help.

I groaned. "Mom, do I really need to brush my hair? It doesn't make any difference!"

"Eighteen years old and he still can't brush his own hair," she muttered. "We want to make a good impression on this girl, and that means making you look your best." I considered protesting, but the look in her eyes told me otherwise, so I allowed her to tug the damn brush through my knotted hair. I complained a few times, but she just told me to "stop being such a baby."

Once she had finished, my father rose from his seat and started for the door, followed by mom and later me. A few other vampires such as me were going to find their mate, and one of them happened to be an old friend from my school, Emmett McCarthy. He spent most of his teenage years working out since once we turned eighteen – as I would do in about eleven months – any exercise we tried to do wouldn't actually affect our strength or appearance. He had short black hair, and although he was bulky, he had dimples on his baby face. He had been asked out by many of the bitten vampire girls, and he dated only one of them, but didn't go all the way.

There were no vampire women born from a human mother and vampire father, apart from Alice. Aro tried to convince himself that it was just that it was just coincidence, but he was having doubts. There was a possibility that Alice was just an anomaly and that all other born vampires were male.

When we had reached the castle, we were created by the guard Felix, who gave us access to the main room. There were two other guys there with me and Emmett that I didn't really recognise, but I paid little attention to them. Our parents had left us at the gate, not being allowed inside but still wanting to see their sons off before they meet their other half. Once I had entered, the sound of hearts beating was obvious, but there were also the thoughts of one of the few women who had tried to go out with me before the mating selection started. Tanya.

_Lucky bitch. Gets Eddie whilst I'm stuck waiting for Aro to allow women to have the damn mating thing. Can't a girl have some fun before getting tied down?_ Her thoughts told me that she was the one who prepared my mate for presentation. She didn't show me any images of the girl, but I could already smell a sweet scent coming from behind a red curtain, covering the door leading to the mates on the left hand side of the room. It was a combination of lavender and rose; it was utterly mouth-watering.

"Welcome, gentleman." Aro greeted from his throne, slowly rising from it. "From the looks on your faces, I can tell that you already sense you mate within our walls." I straightened my face immediately, but I still fingered the necklace I held in my pocket that I carried with me whenever I visited Alice. _Hurry it up old man. _"We will get to you eventually, going through you in alphabetical order. We shall start with Ben Cheney."

The boy gulped before he was led through the curtain. The only thoughts I could catch a few minutes later were words like beautiful. How I envied him. _At least I'm second_, I thought to myself. The three of us left behind talked as we waited to be called in. Without poking into his mind, I found out that the other boy was Eric Yorkie, someone who wasn't all too keen on the mating process.

"I know it's what we've been waiting for all our lives and all that crap, but why couldn't we date beforehand? There were plenty of Bitten girls walking around." He whined. He was more of a 'player' then someone who wanted to settle down.

"We were allowed to date, just not get... physical." Emmett replied, shuffling around anxiously. "How much longer does each pairing take?"

I shrugged. "They're mostly talking and getting acquainted. I guess they need to before Ben can take her home to meet his parents. She's still freaked out." Two pairs of eyes stared curiously at me. _How did he know that? _Eric thought, and I smiled, amused that they didn't know of my skill yet. Usually Aro boasted about such things. "I knew that because I can read their minds." I answered, and their eyes widened. "Seriously, Emmett, didn't I tell you about that in school?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Guess it just slipped my mind." We shared a quick laugh before a loud bellow echoed throughout the room.

"Edward Masen!" Suddenly nervousness shrouded me. What if she didn't approve of me? What if she was already disgusted by vampires? I knew that the process they go through to get here was a little less then unpleasant, but would she think I was that was as well? Shaking my worries away, I headed toward the curtain just as Ben and a dark haired woman popped out. She was still a little scared, but Ben was quickly calming her down, his instincts commanding him to do so.

I pushed away the flimsy material to find Tanya standing there grimacing. Her thoughts matched her expression, but she tried to keep her voice as cheery as possible. "Your mate has the name of Isabella Swan, she's twenty years old and was found in Rio on a holiday, if Alice is correct. I must warn you though, Edward. She's not in a good way with vampires so far." She was about to elaborate but something rushed came into her mind and she decided against it. "I'll tell you why after." I looked at her in confusion, but she simply directed me to the room where they held my mate. Opening the door, she allowed me inside before closing it behind me.

It was a bedroom, with walls covered in floral designs and a double bed with silk sheets in the centre. There was nothing else to be seen other than a woman sitting on the sheets, her knees held up to her face.

She had beautiful brunette hair that ran down to her lower back, giving me the urge to run my fingers through it, and her skin was a milky pale. When she heard the door close, her eyes darted to me, showing me her chocolate brown depths. I let out a deep breath that I had been holding, about to greet her I took a step forward, but before I could do much else, tears sprung into her eyes, and a growl emitted from my chest involuntarily.

"What is wrong?" I asked, trying desperately to keep myself from leaping over to her and comforting her. "Why are you crying?"

"Why do you think?" She sobbed, covering her face up with her knees. "Your kind have been nothing but cruel to me. Why should I think that you'll be any different?" She thought I would hurt her? That was a impossibility! Even the thought of harming her in anyway was painful.

"I'll never hurt you," I vowed quietly, hoping she'll believe me. "We are very protective of our mates, and could never let any harm come to our other halves." She sniffed a little as I spoke, and it was killing me to stay such a distance away from her. Some sort of force was pulling me to her, and my arms ached to hold her. "What have other vampires done to you to feel this way? Did they hurt you?" I growled a little, searching the immediate area for any minds that could have done such a thing. Perhaps Tanya? No, she knew what would happen if she purposely hurt a human mate.

She sniffed. "I got a few bruises from the two guys that brought me here when they shoved me into a sack." I didn't even try to hide my growl from her. Of course Michael and Trevor had done this. They cared for nothing but the money they received as every mate was delivered. I considered running through the door and wringing their necks, but I needed to soothe Bella.

Hesitantly, I stepped toward her, testing her reaction, before I carried on to sit on the edge of the bed in front of her. She jumped a little, and I purred, hoping it would help to calm her down. She looked confused by the gesture, but eventually did relax. "I'd better introduce myself. I'm Edward Masen, and you already know what I am." I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, thinking of what else I could say. "I'm sorry that this is the way we had to meet. It's not exactly a typical meeting, is it?"

She smiled a little, her tears drying on her cheeks. "Um, where are we? There're no windows anywhere, so I can't see outside."

"There's not really much to see. We're in an underground city to keep humans from discovering us. Our leaders built it a while ago to house vampires and their mates." I figured that keeping the war and Aro's idea from her was a good idea for now, seeing as she would definitely see the bad side to it; the destruction of the human race.

"So I'll never see the outside world again? I'll just be trapped down here like a rat?" Her eyebrows knitted in pain as she thought. Actually, come to mention it, I hadn't tried to read her mind quite yet. This would be so much easier if I could comprehend what happened in her head. I searched, but found nothing in the area that Bella sat in but a wall, preventing me from seeing into her mind. I tried harder, but got nothing. I sighed quietly in frustration, but decided that I should answer her question.

"If you want to go outside, I'll take you," I assured her when tears began to form in her eyes again. "I mean, we're only really allowed up there to feed, but I'm sure that we could sneak away for awhile."

"Feed?" She questioned.

"It's not what you think," _or at least what I think you think_, "we feed off of animals. Our leaders are careful with the humans, as one of them could be a vampire's mate." Her shoulders retreated from their rigid position and she let out a deep breath. "Do you think that we could go back to my house?" She gasped, and although I could not yet read her mind, I could imagine what was going through it. "Do not fear me. I simply want to give Emmett a chance to meet his mate. He's out there waiting for us to leave. My parents are also expecting you at the house." She nodded cautiously, allowing me to take her hand and lead her out. Her skin was softer than satin, and I never wanted to let her go.

Emmett's name was called as we left, and I could tell that we took too long in there. _For god's sake, dude. What were you doing in there?_ I shook my head at him, confusing Bella. "I'll tell you later."

I sided on simply walking at human pace since Bella was still new to all of this, and picking her up and running at full speed could only do more to scare her. As we travelled toward my home, Bella's eyes were all over the place, observing the dome like structure that formed our city. "How long did it take to build this place?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess around fifty years... probably a bit more than that. It _was_ made by vampires, so simply mining out the space couldn't have taken too long." She looked at me questionably, probably wondering what I meant. "We have super speed and strength, so mining out a space like this non-stop couldn't have taken too long." Bella seemed amazed at this new information, and I smiled when she couldn't see. It seemed that finding my mate and pretty much instantly falling in love with her made me a little lighter than usual. As we neared the house, I saw a bunch of teenagers passing by, and as they did, they eyed Bella up and down, conjuring disgusting thoughts.

_Nice, I'd like to tap that!_

_Why are ya going home with that guy, pretty lady? I could give you so much more of a better time..._

I growled lowly at them, warning them to back off before I ran over there and tore their heads off. They were a little cocky, and challenged me by stepping towards us, ogling my mate. I growled a little louder this time, protectively crouching in front of Bella, frightening her a little, and though I felt the need to soothe her I needed to get rid of those that threatened her. When they failed to move away, a let out a roar, inching closer to them whilst I still attempted to obscure their view of Bella. "Leave. NOW." I ordered, and they sped off, realising that they had messed with a vampire's mate, a thing that could end in death.

"Edward?" I heard Bella whisper in fear, and at the sound I whimpered and turned to face her, wanting to hold her even though I knew I couldn't yet. I looked at her helplessly, and started purring, since it was the only thing I could do to calm her without touching her. "What was that? And who were those men?"

I inhaled deeply before answering. "They are unmated teenagers, and they were leering at you and I involuntarily started to defend you. Their thoughts were vile and the fantasies..." I trailed off, going a bit too much into detail. Looking at her, a little lost on what else to say. I predicted that she would shout at me, or at least complain about how I'd done it so unexpectedly or how she didn't need to be protected, but instead, her face lit up with a gorgeous smile.

"Thank you," she whispered, her smile remaining on her face.

**Hope you liked it!**

**If you find any typos or anything please PM me to I can correct it :P And shall I keep it in one pov for each chapter or have two in one?  
**

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	4. Discoveries

_**Bpov**_

As we approached Edward's home, the only thoughts I could come up with were 'stunning' and 'how rich are vampires?' We entered to find a kind hearted woman who was Edward's mother, and a happy, but slightly off man who was Edward's father. His expression showed nothing but pride for his only son. After meeting the both of them and have Elizabeth gush over me – making my face turn tomato red – Edward led me upstairs toward his bedroom. I still wasn't completely sure if I could trust this man who I had only just met. He seemed nice enough, but I could never be sure.

During the remainder of our walk here, he explained how protective vampires got when it came to their mate, and how their thoughts would be overridden by instinct. In their minds, after making love with their mate for the first time, vampires would also become possessive, thinking that any other male was a threat to their connection. He told me that that was what had happened with the other vampires on the way to the house.

After thanking him, I had also questioned him about how he knew what they were thinking. Turns out, most human born vampires were gifted, and he was given the power of telepathy. Yet, somehow, he couldn't reach into my mind. I also asked if anyone who was transformed by a bite could get such unique skills, and he vaguely said that it was a little less likely, but still possible.

We entered his room and I glanced around in awe, taking in the comfortable bed, fluffy carpet and interesting choice of decoration. As I looked around, an obvious worry became apparent in my mind. "Where am I supposed to sleep? Is there a guest room or something?"

He looked down shyly at his feet before responding. "Actually, I was hoping we could sleep in the same bed." I gasped almost silently, wondering what he was expecting. His face lifted and was soon overtaken with worry. "Don't worry! I wouldn't do anything against your will. It is simply another protective thing. And besides, cuddling whilst asleep is supposed to encourage bonding, or at least that's what they taught us at school." He frowned a little, peering up at me, silently begging for me not to freak out on him. I smiled a little in response, but didn't verbally answer. I wanted to know more about his life – his species' lives.

"So how do you when it's night or day down here?" I asked looking outside of his bedroom window, giving a perfect view of the city, including the castle. No matter what angle you looked at it from, that place still looked sinister, forcing a shiver down my spine. I could have sworn that I heard Edward growl, but I ignored it, awaiting the answer to my question.

"We have clocks, of course. Digital so that we can be told whether it's AM or PM. There isn't many other ways. We're informed whenever the clocks go forward or backward in advance, so we always have the right time." He replied, examining me in a way that told me he wanted to remain discreet. "Are you feeling tired, Bella? The dark shadows under your eyes show that you have not had the most comfortable night's sleep when being brought here."

When I realised how long it had been since I had slept in a bed for a full eight hours, the exhaustion of the past few days fell onto my shoulders, and I sagged a little. Edward took that as confirmation, taking my hand gently and leading me to another door in his bedroom, which led me to a bathroom. On the counter laid a pair of loose red sweatpants and a black t-shirt. "That's the only thing we had that you could wear to bed. But don't worry; my mother will take you shopping sometime." He flashed me a reassuring smile before leaving, shutting the door behind him. "Oh, and feel free to have a shower if you feel you need to," he added from behind the door.

As I began to remove my clothing to change, I spot the obvious purple bruise on my stomach. It bloomed from my hips to the top of my stomach, showing a few outlines of fingers as well. It didn't bother me too much, but could imagine what Edward's reaction would be like if he knew. There were also a couple of cuts along my sides where the Collectors dug their nails in. I sighed, and decided that I should probably have a shower. Stepping into the bathtub, I pulled the curtain and switched on the water, giving it a minute of two to heat up before I stood under the spray.

Considering that I didn't exactly know my boundaries yet, I decided against using the shampoo on the small ledge of the bath. After drying myself off, I redressed in the pyjamas and carried my clothes into the bedroom, where Edward was lying on the bed in nothing but a pair of what seemed to be silk trousers, leaving his pale chest uncovered. Hiding my ogling, I placed my clothes on the couch and awkwardly stepped toward the bed, not knowing how to do this. Edward simply smiled and got under the covers, his eyes inviting me to join him.

Slowly, I got in and lay down on the opposite side of the bed, immersing myself in the comfy duvet. At some point soon after that, the lights had been switched off, by who I assumed to be Edward as his side of the bed had moved slightly. He reached over, holding onto my arm before shifted over to me and pulling me into his embrace. He snuggled into my side, his nose coming to rest on my neck. Almost immediately there was a vibration – was he purring? When I tilted my head slightly to look at him, he had a small smile on his face, and the purring didn't stop. I allowed the sound to lull me into a deep and dreamless sleep.

The glorious smell of bacon, eggs and sausages wafted into the room, lifting me from my sleep. One of my eyes popped open to find Edward walking into the room, trying to balance a tray holding a plate and a tall glass of orange juice. Sitting up, I leaned against the wooden headboard of the bed, allowing him to place it on my lap. He bent over as if he was going to kiss my forehead, but he held himself back, replacing the gesture by sitting on the edge of the bed by my feet.

"Good morning," he greeted, watching as I took the knife and fork into my hands and started slicing the bacon into smaller, bite-sized strips. "How are you feeling?"

As I swallowed my first bite before answering, there was a dull ache in my stomach. I winced slightly, but responded positively to his question. "Absolutely fine. And thanks for the breakfast in bed," I smiled just thinking of the gesture, "it was really thoughtful of you." He seemed happy that I approved, but it was partly forced.

"What's wrong, Bella?" He asked worryingly, his eyes searching every inch of me. "Does something hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I assured him after swallowing a forkful of perfectly cooking scrambled egg – my favourite type of egg. "Just a bruise... and a few cuts. Nothing to worry ab-" I was interrupted by Edward's growl and a blur of movement, which resulted with me on his lap, his arms around me, and the tray on the bedside table. He was stroking my hair gently, rocking us a little. Not to calm me, but himself.

"Who hurt you? Was it Trevor and Michael? I swear I'll kill them." He spat out, pulling me impossibly closer to him.

"Edward, I'm fine," he growled at the phrase, so I refrained from using it again. "It's just a bruise, it'll heal in time."

"Where is it? The bruise." He inquired, and I shamefully glanced toward my stomach. In a matter of milliseconds, I was lying on the bed with my t-shirt shoved up, not too much, but enough so that Edward could see the harm the Collectors had done. "I'll kill them." He claimed, brushing his fingers softly around the cuts. I shifted a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable with my top raised, but Edward seemed too focused on murder to notice. He lifted himself from the bed and swiftly changed into a pair of lightly torn jeans as well as his jacket before he rushed out of the room.

"Edward!" I screamed as I tried to catch up with him. "Edward! Please!"

I had just about reached the top of the stairs as the plea left me, and moments later something hard and cold crashed into me, wrapping its arms around me like iron bands. "It's okay Bella, it's okay," he chanted, his fingers gliding over my hair. "I'll be back in a few minutes. There's nothing to worry about."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, you can't just go over there a kill them."

His eyebrow knitted together in confusion. "Why not?"

I tried to drive my arms up in the air dramatically, but I was still restricted. "It was just an accident; they didn't mean to hurt me. And besides, wouldn't Aro hear about it? If they're killed, who else's going to collect the mates?" I raised an eyebrow.

He thought for a couple of seconds before replying. "But they harmed you. They _marked _you, my mate. They deserve to at least be taught a lesson."

I tugged myself out of my arms – which took a lot of trying before he let me go - and stormed off to the bedroom. I stomped in, walked straight into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it as I went. From what Edward had said, the weak attempt at keeping him out was idiotic. Of course he could simply run through the wall to reach me. Fortunately though, he stayed with human rules. He remained outside the door, knocking on it quietly. If he was just going to end people's lives whilst I was here, I might as well leave. Well, I had locked myself in the bathroom with only one window that led onto the roof over the back door. But looking down, I couldn't see where I could go from there.

Contemplating on whether I should go for it or not, I heard Edward's knocks get gradually louder. "Please Bella, I'm sorry!" He sounded so broken, and I considered staying, but I had to at least teach him a lesson. I was still a teenager at heart, and I didn't want to just give up on this argument by opening that door.

Taking a deep breath, I heaved one leg over the windowsill and against the outside wall, eventually bringing my other leg around. I dropped onto the roof – luckily it was a short drop – and looked around for a way down from there. I thought about shimming down the drainpipe, but let's be honest. That sort of thing didn't even work in the _movies, _let alone real life. There wasn't any other way other than jumping, so I swung my legs over the edge and estimated the distance. It wasn't that far to the ground. Inhaling once more, I leaped, and landed on my feet, but the impact sent a sharp pain down my right leg. _Probably just a sprain, _I told myself. Before I could get any further down the yard, I heard the door of the bathroom fly off of its hinges.

"Bella?" I heard Edward ask as he entered the empty room. His gaze reached the open window, and he leaned out of it to see me slightly limping away. "Bella!" He bounced easily out of the window, dodging the roof, before rushing over to me. "You tried to run away?" He examined. Ashamed, I peered down at the ground. He growled. "I made you run away from me? Argh! What's wrong with me?" His fingers shot through his hair angrily, sinking to his knees on the manicured grass.

After muttering profanities at himself for a couple of minutes, he calmed slightly and looked up at me with a hurt look in his eye. "Bella, if you really want to leave, I..." He swallowed, loathing what he was saying. "I can help you get out of here. You can go back to your family and forget about me." His voice broke on the last three words.

I launched myself at him, gathering him in my arms as I began to sob. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go so far – I don't want to leave you, Edward." His body relaxed instantly and his arms constricted around me. I couldn't even think about how different this was from my other relationships. I usually wouldn't let a man touch me unless I knew him well enough.

He buried is face in my hair, whispers erupting in my ear. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Pulling back, he looked deeply into my eyes, his own darting from my eyes to my lips repeatedly. I bit down on my bottom lip – a habit I had developed over the years – and I nodded. His cold lips collided with my warm ones, causing a groan to explode from Edward. We stayed like that for a good minute before I heard the tapping of a shoe from the back door.

"Son, I understand this is all new to you and all, but could you please refrain from devouring your mate in the garden where the neighbours can see?"

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**Awkward...**

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	5. Just a few of the effects

_**Epov**_

After getting over the thought of Bella wanting to escape from me – which she forced out of my mind with that mind blowing kiss – we went back inside, passing my father who had witnessed our first kiss out on the lawn, which was actually plastic. Of course, sunlight never really reached our homes, with us being underground and all, so my mother invested in the most realistic fake grass on the market.

For the rest of that morning, Bella barricaded herself inside the bedroom to avoid facing the rest of my family after the incident. Whilst she did so, I remained downstairs talking to my parents, but no matter how many times I tried to divert the conversation, we always landed on the subject of Bella. It wasn't that I didn't want to – on the contrary, I wanted nothing but to talk about how amazing she was– but my mother insisted on gushing herself about the success of the mate selection. I felt a pull – something I feel whenever I'm away from Bella – but I needed to give her privacy... Maybe if I just hang outside the window she won't notice me...

"Isn't she just adorable?" My mother squealed as she prepared lunch for both me and Bella, effectively halting my plans. "She's gonna help our kind... I can just feel it."

Dad huffed. "That's what you said when the Newton's got their sons mate. And she turned ended up wasting all their money on the Market." It was true. Michael, one of the mate collectors, named his only son after him, and his mate didn't turn out to be one of the kinder ones. No, she cared nothing for our culture and she abused Mike's devotion to her. She took the family fortune and threw it away on the Market, which was supplied mostly by outside sources or whatever trinkets or extra clothing the mates have when they are brought in.

Mum just clucked her tongue at her husband. "I know what I said, but this one's different! She is gonna be something big; I know it."

I chuckled. "You sound just as nuts as Alice." I joked as I pinched a piece of grated cheese from the plate in front of her. "I'll just check on Bella."

"Oh, tell her that I want to take her out shopping in an hour or so. You know, so she can see the sights and I can get to know her better." I frowned. I didn't want to spend any time away from Bella.

"Cut the boy some slack, Lizzie." Dad said, drinking from his mug of blood. "You can't just separate a vampire from their newly found mate." Thank you dad! I looked over to mum with a hopeful look in my eye, but her expression told me that there was no way I could keep her for myself. I turned back to my father, counting on him to back me up on this, but after a stern look from mum, he shrugged. "Sorry kid. You know I can't say no to your mother." I pray that I can help my son out when it comes to something like this... but it might take some, no, a lot of practise to say no to Bella.

I ran upstairs, walking into the bedroom to find Bella drying her hair with a towel on the bed. "Hi," I whispered before joining her. I took the towel out of her hands and started drying it myself, causing her face to bloom an intoxicating shade of pink. Once I had completed the task, I picked up a hairbrush from the drawers and brought it back to her before I continued working on her hair. By the time I was finished, her hair was dry and tangle less.

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome." I replied, swallowing as my fingers brushed passed her neck. "Um, my mother wonders if you'd like to go out for the day with her." She stiffened a little, but I continued anyway. "She just wants to get to know you better." After about a minute or so, she still hadn't replied, so I gently wrapped my arms around her petite form in a comforting gesture. "It's fine if you don't want to, I'm sure I can convince her-"

"Don't try to talk her out of it Edward!" Mum shouted from downstairs. _Damn vampire hearing._

"Sure," Bella answered finally. "I mean, if we're going to be together, then I need to be on good terms with your mother." I hugged her tightly, making an effort not to crush her.

"You really don't have to if you don't want to, Bella." I assured her, despite my mother's 'yes she does!' "You can stay here if you want to." _Please stay here, please stay here._

She shook her head and got up, flashing me a small smile. "No, it's fine really. I'll just go downstairs for something to eat first." And with that, my brown haired beauty gracefully exited the room. Once I heard her feet touch the bottom of the stairs, I felt that pull again, and willingly followed her.

Bella ate the cheese omelette mum and cooked for her, whilst I settled for a cheese and fox blood omelette. They looked no different, so Bella wouldn't notice the difference in case it scared her, but we had to be extra careful that they were given to the right people. Blood has a very dominant taste, and humans detest eating it, or at least blood that is stored for days.

After only ten more minutes with my mate, mum gave Bella a coat of hers and took her towards the Market.

_**Bpov**_

Nervous was an understatement. I was strolling through the streets of an underground city with a blood sucking vampire, who's only intent was to get to know me better before I go out with her son. Even trying to assess the situation I was in made my head swim. We passed a small circular pond like structure – an old cistern; I guess you could call it. Around the edge of it, groups of what seemed like young teenagers talked and played, as if they weren't in a city purposely hidden from the rest of the world to keep them safe.

Slowly, we approached what seemed like a normal market. Small, tent like stalls surrounding a fountain, filled with people browsing the various goods that were for sale. When we got closer, I saw what they were actually selling.

There were trinkets and gems, and a few dresses on one stall which seemed normal enough, but in the hands of the merchant there was a golden chain, blood splattered on it. He looked up, his eyes widening when he realised I was human, and was quick to wipe the crimson away, making the gold shine innocently. Mrs. Masen saw the action and sighed, turning to me.

"The Market is supplied by those collected, but sometimes the collection isn't done without harm. Whatever trinkets or undamaged clothing are taken away and sold here." She waved her arm towards the stalls.

Her explanation prodded me into the memory of arriving here. I guess being made up to attract our mates also allowed them to take our clothing. I frowned, but browsed through each stalls goods anyway. The jewellery was actually rather nice. There was a magnificent necklace with tiny diamonds scattered against the chain, and a glimmering crystal heart on the end. Reflexively, I turned my head to search for a price tag, and when I found the piece of card beside the necklace, my eyes almost popped out at what I saw.

"What's the currency down here?" I inquired as I stared at the 1657 on the card.

"There's two ways to pay for things down here. Trade, or Euros, although Euros are fairly hard to come by. Unfortunately, there are few jobs since... well, we're vampires. Things get done very quickly and incredibly well." told me, eying the pendant. "But, we we're all given a few hundred Euros to either save up or spend when we are changed, or the child gets them. You can also do jobs for our leader, that's what most teenagers do these days, even though they know of the dangers." She sighed. "That's exactly what Edward did."

Jesus, wouldn't it have just been easier to live on the surface? I sighed and moved away from the necklace, moving over to a stall filled with velvet dresses. Before I could get far, Edward's mother placed her cold hand on my shoulder to pause my movement. I looked back at her in confusion.

"If you really want it, you can get it," she offered, glancing back at the necklace.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I'd probably never wear it anyway."

Elizabeth tutted, whilst shaking her head, a smirk on her face. "Of course, I have nothing but the money I was given, but there is someone who here who can buy it for you."

I cocked my head. "Who?"

"Edward, silly." My confusion done nothing but grow, so she continued. "Of course, you as a human wouldn't be able to detect it, but Edward has followed us since we left the house." My eyes scanned the nearby vampires, but none of them were Edward. Elizabeth put her head next to mine and angled both of us toward a large pillar on the corner of the Market, where we could see a dark figure at the top gripping the pillar and a small wall attached to the overlay. The figure's shoulders sagged once he was spotted, and he dropped like a bird out of the sky before speeding towards us.

He ran his hands through his bronze hair, which was blown back by his fall and run. "Edward," his mother scowled, "don't you trust your own mother? You know I wouldn't let any harm come to her." She crossed her arms, staring him down.

"Dad told you that you can't just take away someone's mate from them a day from when they found each other. Besides, I saw a group of unmated guys pass the house straight after you left, and they were all thinking about Bella, and I-"

"And you felt protective?" Elizabeth sighed. "Just like your father. I suppose I should cut you some slack, since you did come with wonderful timing. Your mate here was just eying that necklace other there." She pointed toward the stall, making Edward's face light up as he reached for his wallet.

"Really, I don't need it. You don't need to waste any money on me." I assured them, effectively putting a frown on Edward's face. Aw crap.

"But I want to buy it for you." He sulked, lashing out a pair of topaz puppy eyes. "Whatever it takes to make you happy."

It took all I had to resist him, but luckily I managed. "I really don't need it. I'd rather go back to the house." He searched my eyes, looking for any signs that I was lying, but he found none and sighed, withdrawing his persuasive eyes. He held out his hand and I willingly took it, ignoring the jolt it caused whenever I touched him.

"I'll be home in about an hour. What's your size, Bella?" She asked.

I gave her the information she needed, trying to avoid the blush that creeped onto my cheeks. It gradually faded as we strolled back toward the house, but just before it did Edward examined it carefully, inhaling deeply, and causing the blush to make a comeback. "Why do you keep doing that?" I asked, his nose practically against my cheek.

He breathed out deeply before answering. "When you blush, you blood rises toward you skin. Did I ever tell you your blood has such a sweet smell? Like daisies or freesia."

I flushed an entire new shade of red at the compliment. "Thank you?"

He went to smell my hair next, halting our walking altogether. Although I didn't understand it, I let him go about his... smelling. A few seconds later, I felt his cold lips touch the crown of my head, and I heard him whisper the words "you're welcome".

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**After the while I waited to write this, I hope its good enough! xD **

**P.S. a note to Donut: You happy now? xD Just don't ambush me tomorrow... **

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	6. New Beginnings

**Epov**

It was now the day after the incident at the market, and I was in deep thought about Bella's reluctance to accept my offer to buy her that necklace. Of course, I had one in my closet, just waiting for the right moment to be hung around Bella's delicate neck, but I would give her whatever she desired.

But now, with my hands at my sides and hers on her hips, she demanded something I wasn't sure I could give her. _Alone time._

"Before I came here, I was independent. Alone pretty much all the time, apart from school." She frowned, taking in my pained expression. "I know your instincts demand that you stay with me, but I'll be fine alone for at least an hour."

"Bella," I gasped, trying to keep control. I knew what would happen if she was out of my sight for _an hour._ I'd be in immense pain, crumbling to the ground in agony. I only knew this as I had seen it for myself at the Castle when Marcus had his wife taken away from him. I also experienced a pinch of this pain when Bella had left the house with my mother. It felt as if my heart had been slowly tearing in half, half of it leaving with her.

"Bella, I don't know if I can," I croaked.

She sighed. "Just an hour, maybe less. I just want to take a little walk by myself. I'll have a look around some of the city before coming back." Perhaps there would be a loophole... "And no following me." _Dammit._

The corner of my lips turned down. She really wanted this, but was I prepared to let her outside, with all of those grimy teenage males having nothing to hold them back? I growled quietly at the thought, making sure Bella couldn't hear me. _Just an hour,_ her voice repeated in my head. _She'll be back before I know it._

I breathed deeply and released it. "No more than forty five minutes. If you take any longer, I _will_ come out and find you." She squealed in happiness and leapt forward to hug me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and laid my chin on the crown of her head before considering what I had just agreed to. As much as I enjoyed her being in this state of joy, I was still unsure if I could handle the distance. Perhaps my father could give me a few tips on surviving without my mate... as if that were _possible._

"Just give me half an hour... then you can go," I muttered, needing that time to get as much of her as I could to live through forty five minutes.

Unfortunately for me, thirty minutes wasn't enough. Bella went to get some lunch in the kitchen whilst I spoke to my dad, who sat in his favourite armchair with my mother in his lap. Human or no, seeing your parents together in this way was still scarring. When I walked in, they were kissing one another, and they wouldn't stop until they noticed my mate in the room. Come on! I was their son for crying out loud!

Once they were separated, Bella went into the kitchen whilst my mother went to her bedroom. "Uh, I was wondering dad..." I glanced toward the direction Bella had gone, "How do you handle being away from mom?"

Dad chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't handle it. I _endure_ it, but it does get easier with time. One cannot be separated by one's mate without... dramatic outcomes, for a while. Now, after all these years with your mother, it's more of a slowly dulling burn that'll never go away."

It didn't feel like this pull to Bella would slowly evaporate over time. It would only return with more vigour than before.

Before I could reply, Bella finished off her sandwich and was starting for the front door, forcing me to stand up and follow her as if I were in a trance.

"Bella," I murmured, so quietly I didn't think that she would even be able to hear me. My hand automatically went up into my hair as I frantically thought of a way to convince her to stay. All attempts in my head ended up going wrong and possibly making her feel like I was controlling her.

She wrapped her coat – borrowed from my mother – around her and reached out to grab the door knob, but I couldn't let her leave quite yet. If I had any hope of surviving any time not knowing where she was, I needed to get as much of her as I could.

I took her hand into mine, pulling her over to me and into my arms. I let her scent envelop me and anchor me. Leaving a light kiss on her hair, I gently rubbed my cheek against it, marking her with my scent. As I'm sure I've already mentioned, we're very protective and possessive of our mates. To ensure that she would be ignored by most males, I had to make sure she smelt like me, however faintly.

"Forty five minutes." I warned in a whisper. "Forty five minutes and no more, or I'll end up tearing the city apart looking for you."

She giggled, but it was forced after hearing my serious – and almost threatening – warning. "Okay," she said, letting me kiss her on the forehead before walking out the door.

The pain I felt was instant and crippling. I managed to make it to my room before collapsing into a heap on the carpet.

My head hurt.

My limbs hurt.

My chest hurt.

My heart tugged, telling to follow my mate. But I bravely ignored it, telling myself that I could hold off the pain until Bella returned from her exploration of Volturi. I just begged that she would return early.

_**About two minutes later...**_

She was in trouble. That was the only explanation as to why she was taking this long.

During my internal agony, my mother flashed into the room, gasping loudly at the sight of me in my time of weakness. "Edward! Dear, what's wrong? Where's Bella?" At the sound of her name, I moaned out loud, my ears already being accustomed to it. Had I been groaning? "Edward, Sweetheart! You've been yelling, I was so worried..." Well that would explain it.

"Eddie! Get in here right now!" She called out to my father. My vision had begun to go blurry, but I could still see two figures standing over me.

"Is this why you asked Edward? Where is she? Should we go and get her?" He asked, already making his way out.

Panic boiled inside me. Bella wanted this time to herself; she was so passionate about this time alone. If they were to retrieve her and force her back here, who knew what the consequences would be? "No," I choked out, finding that my throat was dry and rough from the moaning. "She just wants to look around. She'll be back soon." _I hope,_ I added mentally.

After what felt like another millennia without Bella, my mother stood from her resting place on my bed abruptly. Or at least I think she did. "I can't just sit here and watch my son crumble before my very eyes." She turned to face my father, who was pacing impatiently. "You stay here with Edward whilst I go and fetch that girl. Ten minutes is long enough." Before I could protest, she had left.

_**Bpov**_

Beyond the few patches of darkness and damp areas throughout the vampire city, the place was actually kinda nice.

Other than a few unpleasant characters, that is.

I was genuinely surprised that Edward allowed me to go out and explore on my own without the watching eyes of him or his family. He seemed so reluctant to let me leave; the expression on his face when I left almost convinced me to stay. But, I needed some independence, and I need for him to see that he couldn't control me even though he was a vampire.

I guess I had already proved my point earlier in my stay here – Edward had expressed that his worst nightmare was that I run from him again – but I also wanted to look around. There were a couple of statues I hadn't noticed when I went out with Elizabeth. One that scared me more than the others was a large monument of a man carved in bronze. His hair was partly long for a guy, reaching just below his shoulders, and he wore a cloak that was held up behind him.

He had a determined look on his face, and below his feet on a plaque was something written in what I supposed to be Italian.

Before I had time to wonder what the words could mean, I hand grasped by left shoulder. A scream began to build up, but quickly died down when I realised it was just Elizabeth. "What-"

"Bella, I'm so sorry to interrupt you like this, but you need to come home right now." She stopped me.

From the tone of her voice, I could tell there was no point in arguing. I followed her back around the cistern and inside the house. As soon as we entered, all I could hear was a low, but loud and pained moan from upstairs.

I wasted no time in rushing upwards and into Edward's room – the source of the noise – where I found Edward, crumpled on the floor. His eyes were squeezed shut, his arms tightening around his torso with every second. I almost sprinted over to him, gently stroking his hair and pulling him into my arms.

"Edward? Can you hear me?" At the sound of my voice he instantly relaxed, his eyes opening, allowing me to gaze into his butterscotch eyes, spiked with black which was gradually fading as he realised what was happening.

He took a deep breath, his light bronze eyes returning. "Bella," he sighed heavily, before throwing himself at me, sobbing into my shoulder.

Our reunion took at least half an hour. Once Edward had finally calmed down, he dragged me into bed and tucked me under the covers even though it was early afternoon. For the rest of the day, he kept me cocooned in there and growled menacingly whenever his parents attempted to enter the room, or even walk through the hallway.

His parents had finally given up on trying to gain his trust for the day, so they retreated downstairs. Once we were alone, Edward leaned over, aligning his face with mine.

He came so close that our noses were touching, and whispered "I love you," before clashing his lips against mine.

* * *

I sat on the crimson couch in the Masen house, sifting through the newspaper that they wrote and sent around down here. There was a bucket-load of stories originating from the entire globe, reported back to the city from numerous sources.

As I read about kidnappings, murders and war on the world above, I began to feel a little safer underground, away from all the pain and misery from third world countries and dark alleyways.

I continued to take in the information when I came across a headline in bold: "**Rebels demand release of humans, or 'war shall commence!' They claim." **I frowned at the printing, wondering what it meant for the city that seemed so safe. Why would they want the humans out of here? So far, there was nothing other than the lack of sunlight that was bad about the city. Before I could come to any conclusion, Edward strolled in with two steaming plates filled with quiche, chips and peas. He had resorted to simple dishes once he discovered I wasn't expecting huge meals.

He placed the plates on the glass coffee table before jumping on the couch and wrapping his arms around me, peering at the paper in my hands. His eyes widened dramatically before snatching it out of my hands and replacing it with the quiche.

"Edward?" I asked, confused by his actions.

He swallowed. "What, my Love?"

I took my plate, grasped the cutlery before slicing my piece of cheese and ham quiche and popping it into my mouth. "Who are the rebels and why are they so set on getting humans released?" I questioned after I had swallowed. His shoulders sagged but his face remained calculating.

Whatever it was, he obviously didn't want me to know about it. "What are you talking about, Sweetheart?" I rolled my eyes at the pet name.

"Don't you Sweetheart me. What's so bad that these people think that the humans need to be released?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration – not at me, but the fact that they had so publicly flashed whatever this was in the news. "I don't feel like talking about this quite yet Bella. Let's just say that the rulers of our city sort of fu... _messed_ things up somewhere along the line." His culture had also taught him to be polite and not to cuss in front of their mate. I however was brought up with my mother – the one that cursed like a sailor. Sometimes I slip, but if Edward put in such an effort, I wanted to try as well.

I frowned in disappointment at his answer, but left it alone and ate away the meal in front of me.

It had been around a week since that day at the market, and ever since the minute I realised fully how... devoted, he was to me, and how sweet and just plain amazing he was. I hadn't been with many boys in my life. Sure, there had been a couple, but it never went too much further than making out with most of them.

There was this guy Jacob that... was almost my first kiss. I had known him since I was young and at my dad's for the summer, and he was the only thing I really looked forward to when visiting my dad. He was sweet, and we knew each other pretty well, then my dad had his accident and I was moved to my moms. Edward had yet to learn about this, but it wasn't that big a deal. I never even kissed him, even though there were a few times where it came close to happening.

I returned from my memories, realising I had eaten most of my meal. I cleared my throat and glanced over at Edward, who had a worried, but relieved expression on his face. "Where'd you go, Bella?"

I shook my head, murmuring "nowhere" before finishing off the rest of the omelette and standing up to wash up, but I was stopped when a cool hand pushed down gently on my shoulder. "I'll take it, you just relax, okay?" I nodded glumly, getting kinda fed up with the fact that he was so convinced that mates were meant to be pampered and stuff. I felt like I was just mooching off of his family.

As he washed up, I heard a crowd marching and yelling outside. I lifted myself from the couch and paced toward the front window. I swept away the red curtains to see a mob of what I supposed to be vampires across the cistern, going toward the Castle I was taken here from. Some sped ahead and battered on the walls and gate, easily taking apart the brick walls, but the gate seemed to prove difficult for them. Perhaps there was some sort of materiel that immortals couldn't break through?

Before I could see anymore, Edward took my hand and pulled me away forcefully. I looked up at him in confusion, only to peer away at the sight of his angry and cold face. "Weak guards can't hold out... threatening the mates..." was all I caught from him whispering furiously under his breath. His arms wrapped around me, anchoring me to him in an impenetrable grasp.

"Edward?" I asked, struggling in his arms as he stormed up to the bedroom. "Who were those people? What were they doing?"

He ignored me¸ still hissing incoherently as he placed me carefully on the bed. "Stay here and I'll be right back, okay Sweetheart?" I kept my eye roll to myself, nodding my head before he sped off. A moment later I heard more hissing and shouting from downstairs, so I took the opportunity to sneak another peek out of the bedroom window. The mob was now being shoved back by guards from the castle, and there was even some fighting them back.

One of them, who I assumed to be the Trevor Edward had cursed my second day here, was sadistically yanking a protestor's head off, causing a metallic shriek to echo through the city, and throwing it away as the body fell limp to the ground.

After that extra act of violence, they scattered, but the one next to him began shouting at him.

The door opened less than a second later and Edward rushed in, his eyes widening when he saw me at the window. He took me into his arms again, stroking my hair and, from what I could feel, kissing the top of my head. "I'm so sorry Bella. You'll be safe, I promise."

"Safe from what? Protestors?" I inquired. "What do they want anyway?" He balked and glanced the other way, attempting to avoid the question. "Edward, answer me." I demanded sternly, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it from me for too long. He gazed into my eyes, searching for something that he apparently found.

He sighed. "They think that humans are being used here for purposes Aro is responsible for, and they want to preserve humanity." He spilled out in a rush.

**Yay! I updated! And it was longer than normal! Woo!**

**This was supposed to be two separate chapters, but I wanted to give a longer chapter to try and make up for not writing in a while.**

**Also, I'm sure that there must be at least one or two typos in this... PM me with any of them :P**


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